A loud siren took over millions of phones across Australia on Monday at 2pm, as part of the nation\u2019s new emergency warning system, AusAlert<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the Australian Government reported a 94 per cent success rate; however, a new noise is growing just as loud from communities who say they were completely excluded. <\/p>\n
Jason Clark lives on his ancestral lands in Queensland\u2019s remote Cape York. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mr Clark lives in a region so remote he has no street address, no council services and his closest neighbour is 30 kilometres away via a dirt road. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey said it\u2019s an Australia-wide emergency system, but it\u2019s not,\u201d Mr Clark told news.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cHow can it be Australia-wide? I\u2019m sure I\u2019m within the bloody map of Australia.\u201d <\/p>\n
He says that on Monday the region, which is highly populated by First Nations Australians, was seemingly forgotten. <\/p>\n
\u201cUs people, us rogues out here that live in the bush, they want to forget us,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
His 146,000-hectare property is within a region where there is no power, water or sewage system. <\/p>\n
He\u2019s managed to generate his own power and create a self-sufficient lifestyle, but if he steps more than a few metres away from his small satellite dish at the humpy (shelter), he\u2019s completely cut off – including making calls to emergency services. <\/p>\n
His connectivity to the satellite system used to be just $15 a month. His reality is a far cry from that now.<\/p>\n
The bill is exorbitant to stay logged on, with a $3,000-a-year payment to link to the Starlink satellite and a $350 annual fee to Telstra to maintain a phone number. <\/p>\n
The telco doesn\u2019t provide a mobile signal to his area, but satellite setups like Starlink require a phone number, meaning he is paying for a network he cannot reach. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey take an arm and a leg from us every year, and we can\u2019t do anything about it. Yet we miss out on everything with the telcos,\u201d Mr Clark said. <\/p>\n
AusAlert alerts are delivered to compatible devices that are connected to a mobile network, meaning devices hooked to StarLink in remote locations are bypassed from being out of range from a traditional phone tower.<\/p>\n
In his eyes, the government has a classification for Indigenous communities that doesn\u2019t fit the scope entirely. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe only people they talk to are in the communities, as in with a police station and a clinic, and that\u2019s what they concentrate on,\u201d Mr Clark said. <\/p>\n
The AusAlert test only further proved his point, he believes, highlighting a dire gap. <\/p>\n
He penned a scathing letter to Kristy McBain, the Minister for Emergency Management, pointing out \u201cyour system gave us bugger all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe name says it\u2019s for everyone in Australia, but fair dinkum, I\u2019m in Australia and I was excluded,\u201d he wrote in the letter. <\/p>\n
Within the email, he explains that \u201cexcluding remote First Nations people from lifesaving warnings is the opposite of safe. It\u2019s dangerous.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels like the people designing this in Canberra have never stepped foot in remote Queensland. You\u2019re counting towers, but you\u2019re not counting lives,\u201d he wrote. <\/p>\n
He listed three demands: fix the gap and ensure Starlink is included, real consultation about life on Country and honesty. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not fair dinkum to call it a national system when it leaves entire communities in the dark. We matter. Our lives matter. And today, your system showed us that the government still doesn\u2019t see us,\u201d he wrote. <\/p>\n
A National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesperson told news.com.au: \u201cThere will be circumstances where a device may not receive an alert, including where there is no mobile coverage, the device is not compatible, software is not up to date, or other technical settings affect receipt.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cAusAlert is not a silver bullet and will not replace other emergency warnings or local communication channels. It is one additional tool to help emergency services get urgent information to more people quickly, alongside existing text-based alerts, radio and television broadcasts, local emergency services, and community networks,\u201d the statement explained.<\/p>\n
AusAlert currently isn\u2019t compatible with satellite-based services such as Starlink, but as technology evolves the government body hopes capabilities will extend reach. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhile satellite services are not currently supported, the Australian Government will continue to monitor emerging technologies and consider opportunities to enhance the system over time,\u201d the spokesperson explained. <\/p>\n
The NEMA spokesperson also explained that \u201cFirst Nations engagement has been a focus of the AusAlert program\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNEMA has worked with the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), First Nations organisations and community networks to inform the development of communications and public awareness activities. This engagement has helped ensure information is distributed through trusted channels, including in regional and remote communities, and that resources are accessible and relevant to First Nations audiences,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNEMA will continue to review the results of this test, consider feedback from communities and work with partners to improve the system.\u201d <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the first time Mr Clarke has attempted to sound the alarm. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been banging on about this for years and years and years,\u201d Mr Clarke said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd again, I\u2019ve been thrown in the mud face first.\u201d <\/p>\n
He\u2019s been on this plight since 2023 after a cyclone tore through the region. <\/p>\n
\u201cI got a metre of rain in an hour,\u201d Mr Clarke said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we got no assistance, no help, no warning, no nothing. There\u2019s no TV or radio out here either. Completely cut off.\u201d <\/p>\n
Since he\u2019s been trying to have his voice heard through his local Federal Member, Matt Smith, ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority), Police and the media. <\/p>\n
The office for Matt Smith told news.com.au \u201cJason Clark has not raised concerns with AusAlert with our office.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement the MP\u2019s office said: \u201cMr Clark alleged that his satellite-based telecommunications provider was not communicating with him, in that instance we connected him with his provider so they could discuss his concerns. Since that time he has included us in a small number of emails between himself and the provider as they continued to discuss this matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did indicate to us that this was a widespread issue in his community and we asked for more information on other impacted people in the community to assess how widespread the issue was so we could urgently flag it with the relevant authorities, but to date, he has failed to provide any further information or case studies.\u201d <\/p>\n
Mr Clark told news.com.au that his first email to the MP\u2019s office was sent in July 2025 with the most recent being the 13th July 2026. <\/p>\n
The office said in recent months they have been included in emailed complaints in \u201crelation to connectivity\u201d allowing the bodies to investigate, but if issues arise to let them know.<\/p>\n
They thanked Mr Clark for the feedback regarding the failure: \u201cMr Clark has helped the AusAlert team and the Minister for Emergency Management\u2019s department to collate data regarding the efficacy of the signal\u2019s rollout,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the deployment team analyses their data, we are hearing anecdotal reports of individual devices not receiving the AusAlert signal, including the federal member\u2019s phone which was located in Cairns at that time. This is all part of the development process and no cause for concern.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Mr Clark, he says many in his community have given up on the whole thing altogether, throwing their \u201cphone in the grass.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d say 25 to 30 per cent of real Murris don\u2019t have any phones anymore. They refuse to be part of it. They don\u2019t want to be connected,\u201d Mr Clarke said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBecause a) they can\u2019t afford it. b) they\u2019re over the bulls**t.\u201d<\/p>\n
But he isn\u2019t willing to let the fight go, offering a challenge to leaders and regulators in Canberra.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d love to walk into that office down there, grab a tyre jack, walk out the front and say, \u2018Right, I\u2019m going to talk to the first person that can jack this car up, take the tyre off, and put the spare on because I know we\u2019re going to be on the same wavelength,\u2019\u201d Mr Clark said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to be dealing with someone on my level because they\u2019re only [trying] to bring me down to their level so they can beat me\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A loud siren took over millions of phones across Australia on Monday at 2pm, as part of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60022,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[37393,67073,67121,67053,67056,67054,67113,67098,67083,47016,67131,67089,67097,67062,67060,67147,60784,67093,67139,52852,38957,45493,67066,67057,67106,67091,39061,67141,67071,47468,67090,67132,41007,56681,67145,67114,67107,67065,67143,59746,67051,48904,67081,67094,22,47008,67095,67075,7245,23,7458,21,2184,67085,38246,40033,67104,67077,39694,57314,63683,67136,46982,1612,67128,67125,38150,67052,2601,67068,67126,67116,67082,67130,67080,67140,67058,65138,67112,67055,67063,67074,43981,67061,46998,67070,54569,3430,67110,49012,67087,67105,44590,37045,42600,67127,67117,67119,67111,37007,67086,67102,67099,67118,51060,67137,67088,58815,67142,67133,37347,67092,3121,35183,212,67069,67079,67072,67123,67120,67115,67084,30290,67059,22598,67049,37511,32498,67138,67096,19326,67103,58148,47011,58096,48240,67124,60004,44931,37024,67064,46279,48282,23380,67078,47712,64377,44604,37772,39643,36847,46988,67109,64715,37324,42948,67146,67108,67148,41531,44586,67101,46972,67067,67144,67135,31666,67129,36985,67076,67050,67122,189,67100,67134],"class_list":["post-60021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-the-device","tag-s-capability","tag-s-new-ausalert-emergency-messaging-system","tag-s-new-emergency-warning-system","tag-s-remote-cape-york","tag-s-target","tag-cookedcos","tag-000-a-year-payment","tag-000-hectare-property","tag-2pm","tag-30-kilometres","tag-67089","tag-a-3","tag-a-350-annual-fee","tag-a-94","tag-a-classification","tag-a-clinic","tag-a-device","tag-a-dire-gap","tag-a-dirt-road","tag-a-far-cry","tag-a-leg","tag-a-loud-siren","tag-a-mall","tag-a-mobile-network","tag-a-mobile-signal","tag-a-month","tag-a-national-emergency-management-agency","tag-a-national-system","tag-a-network","tag-a-new-noise","tag-a-phone-number","tag-a-police-station","tag-a-post","tag-a-region","tag-a-scathing-letter","tag-a-self-sufficient-lifestyle","tag-a-silver-bullet","tag-a-sound","tag-a-test","tag-a-traditional-phone-tower-in","tag-an-alert","tag-an-arm","tag-an-australia-wide-emergency-system","tag-au","tag-ausalert","tag-ausalert-alerts","tag-aussie-community","tag-aussies","tag-australia","tag-australians","tag-austrlia","tag-canberra","tag-cent-success-rate","tag-circumstances","tag-communities","tag-compatible-devices","tag-country-and-honesty","tag-credit","tag-date","tag-devices","tag-emergency-management","tag-emergency-management-minister-kristy-mcbain","tag-emergency-services","tag-emergency-warnings","tag-entire-communities","tag-every-year","tag-existing-text-based-alerts","tag-facebook","tag-fair-dinkum","tag-first-nations-australians","tag-greensborough","tag-his-146","tag-his-ancestral-lands","tag-his-area","tag-his-closest-neighbour","tag-his-connectivity","tag-his-eyes","tag-his-own-power","tag-his-point","tag-his-reality","tag-his-small-satellite-dish","tag-indigenous-communities","tag-jason-clark","tag-july-27","tag-just-15","tag-kristy-mcbain","tag-life","tag-lifesaving-warnings","tag-lives","tag-local-communication-channels","tag-mcbain","tag-millions","tag-monday","tag-more-people","tag-more-than-a-few-metres","tag-mr-clark","tag-nema","tag-new-ausalert-system","tag-news-com-au","tag-no-council-services","tag-no-mobile-coverage","tag-no-power","tag-no-street-address","tag-october-2026","tag-off-including-making-calls","tag-one-additional-tool","tag-one-group","tag-other-emergency-warnings","tag-other-technical-settings","tag-our-lives","tag-pace-and-scale","tag-part","tag-phones","tag-queensland","tag-radio-and-television-broadcasts","tag-range","tag-real-consultation","tag-receipt","tag-remote-first-nations-communities","tag-remote-first-nations-people","tag-remote-locations","tag-remote-queensland","tag-satellite-setups","tag-shelter","tag-software","tag-spokesperson","tag-starlink","tag-storyfulmr-clark","tag-targeted-towers","tag-telstra","tag-that-now-the-bill","tag-the-alarm","tag-the-alert","tag-the-ausalert-test","tag-the-australian-government","tag-the-bloody-map","tag-the-bush","tag-the-communities","tag-the-country","tag-the-dark","tag-the-email","tag-the-gap","tag-the-government","tag-the-humpy","tag-the-letter","tag-the-melbourne-suburb","tag-the-minister","tag-the-moment","tag-the-name","tag-the-nation","tag-the-national-emergency-management-agency","tag-the-only-people","tag-the-opposite","tag-the-people","tag-the-region","tag-the-satellite-system","tag-the-scope","tag-the-starlink-satellite","tag-the-system","tag-the-telco","tag-the-telcos","tag-the-test","tag-this-test","tag-three-demands","tag-tiktok-user-cookedcos","tag-today","tag-towers","tag-tuesday","tag-unison","tag-urgent-information","tag-us-people","tag-video","tag-water-or-sewage-system","tag-your-system"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60021\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}